Well boys (and girls,) for me, it's officially basketball season. My NFL team is busy cleaning house while preparing for the #3 pick in April, college football signing day is a little over a month away, and it's time to get jazzed from some conference hoops action. Sure, some early season matchups were juicy, but there is something about seeing traditional meetings week in, week out that officially tell me it's time for basketball.
On the Atlantic coast, it's pretty easy to know what games to look forward to. Just grab a schedule, and figure out when two shades of blue hit the court against each other. This year, the answers are February 8th in Chapel Hill, and March 3rd in Durham. There you have it - you are officially ready for ACC Conference play. But if you are chomping for more from what used to be the best conference in the land, this year's conference schedule looks pretty enticing - simply because we still have no clue who emerges from the pack to challenge Duke and North Carolina. Here are five games that you may want to tune in to as the rest of the league jockey's for position. Get ready, because January comes out swinging.
Sunday, Jan. 8, Maryland at North Carolina State
Someone has to emerge as the third "best" team in this league, and we might get a glimpse into who as early as this weekend. Maryland is a surprising 9-3 as I write. With a game against Cornell before travelling to Raleigh, the Terps figure to be riding a seven-game win streak prior to this tilt. On the other sideline is a team I feel is too talented to be mediocre. This game will set the tone for the Wolfpack, who should enter at 11-4, boasting a five-game winning streak of their own. Should the 'Pack emerge victorious here, the schedule sets up nicely with Georgia Tech, Boston College, and trips to Wake Forest and Miami before a late January matchup at rival North Carolina.
Thursday, Jan. 12, Virginia at Duke
Very quietly, the Cavaliers are 13-1 and ranked for the first time in a while. Unfortunately for head coach Tony Bennett's crew, the league office did them no favors when it comes to conference scheduling. The Wahoos don't get the Blue Devils at home, and travel to Chapel Hill and Durham before getting a Feb. 25 visit from the Tar Heels in Charlottesville. There's little reason to expect an upset here, but UVA needs a competitive showing if we are to buy them as a real team in the conference race. Virginia gets Miami, a week off following Duke before travelling to Atlanta, and then rival Virginia Tech and Boston College at home. A moral victory here could put the Cavs in fighting position at 4-1 in league play before the Super Bowl.
Saturday, Jan. 14, North Carolina at Florida State
In their past two visits to Tallahassee, the 'Heels have emerged victorious; by a combined five points. Last season saw Harrison Barnes nail a clutch three-pointer as time expired to boost UNC to a victory. This will be the Tar Heels first road contest since the early Decemeber epic battle in Lexington, Kentucky, so a slow start can be expected. How Roy Williams' crew responds will tell us a lot about how much we can trust this team come March. Florida State on the other hand is entering league play at a disappointing 8-5, having beaten absolutely nobody, and losing twice to Ivy League schools Harvard and Princeton. A team many expected to emerge as the ACC's #3, the 'Noles need to rise up and beat someone. Having said that, so do the 'Heels, who have beaten Wisconsin, and lots of nothing.
Saturday, Feb. 4, Clemson at Virginia Tech
The Hokies are another team in the ACC that's quietly put together a nice start to the year without having any real signature victories. And yes, I know beating Clemson at home isn't going to change that - but I cant sit here and write about every game North Carolina and Duke play on the road. The Hokies are a young team, and their early conference schedule is anything but easy. In their first month, they'll host both the Tar Heels and Blue Devils, as well as Florida State while also traveling to Winston-Salem, Charlottesville, College Park and Chestnut Hill. The Tigers enter Blacksburg just two days after the Blue Devils depart - so they'll either be catching a team riding high on emotion after a shocking upset, or a young team reeling from a very slow start in conference play. This game can be a turning point for the Hokies' season, the question is which way will it turn.
Saturday, Feb. 18, Wake Forest at Miami
Look, I'm trying really, really hard to find games in chronological order that might matter, and also only pick each ACC team once. Anything else is too easy! This game is here simply because it's one of many games Miami should win. But until the 'Canes actually win with regularity against opponents where they have a clear talent advantage, this is anything but a sure thing. On paper, the depth at guard coupled with the size of centers Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji should make this a big win for the 'Canes, who should be fighting to finish in the leagues' upper echelon. Have you noticed the overwhelming use of the word should?
Again, it's a down year for this conference, but parity usually lends itself to some terrific contests. This is the first year in the last five where I'm not working regularly on Saturday's; and I can't wait to veg out and watch conference play unfold! Let the games begin.